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Why Study in Germany

by Chetna Vasishth

This is a transcript of a video on ChetChat titles, why study in Germany. And in this article, I will give you the top five benefits of studying in Germany. Before I give you the top five reasons to study in Germany, here are the top three highlights of Germany –

  • Germany is the third most popular destination among international students in the world.
  • More than twelve percent of students at German universities come from abroad.
  • Munich and Berlin regularly feature in the top 10 preferred cities for international students.

Top 5 Benefits of studying in Germany 

1. World Class Technical Education

One of the reasons you want to study in Germany is for its world-class technical institutions and also some very good medical and management institutions as well.

Higher education in Germany consists of three different types of institutions:

  • Universities and Technical Universities
  • Universities of Applied Sciences
  • Technical, Art, Film and Music Colleges

They have a term called ‘Praxis’ which means practice, and the universities of applied sciences or Fachhochshule or hochshule are industry and corporate oriented.

2. No tuition fees at public universities in Germany –

Higher education in Germany is mainly funded by the state and as such it is literally free of charge for domestic and international students alike. The German higher education system consists of around 400 institutions, hosts over 2.4 million students and about 95% of this student body studies at public universities.

The costs to attend a public university is about Eu 400- 500 per semester of six months. The costs include a semester contribution, enrolment or confirmation fee, administration fee and often a ticket for the public transportation.

Living costs are approximately Eu 700 per month and out of this about half of this would be towards rent of student accommodation, about Eu 100 towards food, groceries etc.. This is still cheaper than living in France or Netherlands.

See how to study in germany for free and how to get scholarships in Germany

3. Relatively lower blocked

funds- In order to study in Germany, you would first require to apply for a national visa. One of these requirements of this visa is presenting a Blocked Bank Account to prove your financial resources for living in Germany.

You need to open a blocked account as soon as you get your university admission letter. You can open this bank account from your home country as well. Now, the mandatory sum required by the embassy that must be deposited to the blocked bank account is €8,640 (which is about Rs. 7 lakhs). This is a very low amount compared to what you would have to show in your bank account if you were applying for instance to Canada or USA (where it would be a minimum of Rs. 15 – 20 lakhs. Once the student starts their first semester in Germany, he or she can withdraw an amount of €720 per month.

4. Work Opportunities:

Germany has considerable work opportunities for international students, if you know German language.

  • You can work for either 120 full working days or 240 half working days
  • You will be allowed to work for up to 20 hours in a week
  • And full-time during vacations.
  • You do not require any special approvals for this.
  • Student or research assistantship is usually over and above this and has no limits, though it requires university consent.

You will easily find part time jobs to cover your 20 working hours over 2/3 weekend days and focus on your academics for the rest of the week. Students commonly work for stores and restaurants and some higher paying jobs are those of a language tutor, field interviewer, call centre assistant or an office assistant.

The minimum wage is 9 euros an hour and you could earn upto Eu 15 – 18 an hour as well. With a 20 hour week, you could earn upwards of Eu 800 a month. This will help you pay for your living costs. A student earning less than 450 euros a month need not pay any taxes/ social security contribution.

However, in order to take up jobs in Germany, you would require to be proficient in spoken German. Even though the courses are in English, places of work will expect you to have a B1 level of German proficiency.

Once you begin your studies in Germany, you can do a short course on German and pick up the basic language in a few months, which can help you get these jobs.

Germany has the fourth largest economy in the world (after the US, China and Japan) and the largest economy of any European Union (EU) country. These are the areas where usually jobs are easier to find –

  • Engineering jobs especially mechanical, automotive, electrical and even chemical engineering jobs are plenty.
  • Renewable energy experts, especially solar power are in demand.
  • Medicine (there is a shortage of around 5,000 doctors),
  • IT, technology and science experts and
  • professionals in the field of Education and training are in demand.

Large corporations include Adidas, Allianz, Bayer, Bosch, BMW Group, Deutsche Bank, Hugo Boss , Siemens and Volkswagen Group. Several MNC’s like Amazon, Google, KPMG and McKinsey have a large presence.

German universities have career counselling cells that will help you navigate your way.

5. Option to Settle Down: 

Foreign graduates of German universities enjoy a more favourable status than non-EU citizens. After completion of your degree program, your student visa expires automatically. But

  1. Students get 18 months of work visa after obtaining their German university degree. During these 18 months, you can continue working 20 hours a week to support yourself and fund your job search. However, during this period some of your student privileges will go away like subsidised insurance and travel card.

 

  1. Finding a job will not be very difficult for you. Once you have completed a masters degree, have stayed in Germany for a few years and chances are that by then your German language proficiency would also be at the B1 or B2 level. As soon as you have a job offer which corresponds to your qualifications, you can choose whether you want to apply for a German residence permit or an EU Blue Card for the next part of your stay.

Essentially, the difference between the two is that the German residence permit limits a candidate’s opportunities to Germany whereas with an EU Blue Card, candidates can move around the various constituent EU countries and avail an even greater number of employment opportunities. On the other hand, for long-term opportunities in Germany, the German residence permit is a better option over an EU Blue Card.

  1. As early as two years after receiving your German or EU Blue Card residence permit, you can apply for a permanent residence permit – that is, a residence permit without a time limit. Once again, knowledge of German Language will be mandatory
  2. Typically after eight years of being a student and tax payer, foreigners are eligible to apply for German citizenship

In addition to this, there are several other benefits like –

  • Courses are available in English,
  • Student community is very helpful,
  • degrees are Globally Recognized since universities in Germany now operate under the Bologna reform.
  • They have top faculty and infrastructure.
  • Also on a personal life basis – Germany is located practically in the centre of Europe and has proximity to countries such as Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic Austria, etc. With one Schengen visa and Eurail pass short weekend breaks can be exotic.
  • Germany itself is a beautiful country to visit and also very diverse in terms of people from different parts of the world living together.
  • It is a safe country and the weather, though a bit cold, is not as cold as it is in Canada, so you will find the adjustment process easy.

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